Founded in 2004, Summer Academy has grown from a single learning centre into a full education network. And now, it’s launching Malaysia’s first Dutch-inspired secondary school, with happiness as the foundation for lifelong learning.

We speak with its Directors, Yanesly Widjaja and Julie Lee, about the evolution of Summer Academy and the opening of Summer International Secondary School (SISS) in Malaysia. We explore what it means to build a school rooted in joy, student ownership and real-world relevance, and why rethinking education starts with rethinking success.